Gathering device



Oct. 16, 1956 T. c. COWEN 2,

GATHERING DEVICE Filed July 11, 1955 INVENTOR Cowen United States Patent GATHERING DEVICE George T. C. Cowen, Somerville, N. J.

Application July 11, 1955, Serial No. 520,97 0

7 Claims. (Cl. 150--5 2) This invention relates to a gathering device or sheet primarily adapted for garden and lawn use for gathering leaves, weeds, grass cuttings and the like, and in which such material may be readily carried.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a gathering device in the form of a fiat sheet in which materials to be disposed of can be piled, and having novel means for converting the sheet into a bag or receptacle form for carrying the material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gathering device having novel means for supporting the device in an inverted position for emptying material therefrom.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a gathering device of extremely simple construction which may be readily folded for storage and which will occupy a relatively small space when not in use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a gathering device of extremely simple construction yet which will function etficiently and durably for accomplishing its intended result.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the gathering device extended and in flat form;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken through the gathering device substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure l and showing the gathering device closed to form a receptacle, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the top part of the device when closed or substantially closed to form a receptacle.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the gathering device in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 5 and includes a sheet 6 of a suitable flexible material, preferably canvas or duck, of adequate strength and durability to support a substantial load and which is capable of withstanding rough usage. The sheet 6 is preferably square as illustrated in Figure 1 and the edges thereof are turned under and stitched as seen at 9 to provide hems 7. A reinforcing piece 8, preferably of the same material as the sheet 6 is disposed against. one side, preferably an underside, of the sheet 6 at the center thereof and is secured to said sheet as by stitching as seen at 9a in Figure 1.

The sheet 6 is provided with a central grommet or eyelet 10 which is secured to and extends through the central portion of the sheet 6 and through the reinforcing piece 8. The sheet 6 is also provided adjacent each corner thereof with a grommet, said corner grommets being designated 11, 12, 13 and 14. The sheet 6 is also provided with three grommets 15, 16 and 17 which are spaced inwardly the same distance from the corner grommets 12, 13 and 14, respectively, and which are disposed in alignment with the adjacent corner grommets and with the central grommet 10.

A flexible strand member 18, such as a piece of heavy cord or twine, has an end portion extending through the grommet 11 and is knotted as seen at 19 in Figure 3, on opposite sides of the grommet 11, for retaining an end of the cord 18 connected to said grommet 11. A strand 20, similar to the strand 18, but which is preferably of a lesser length, has an end portion extending through the central grommet 10 and anchored thereto by knots or the like 21 formed therein on opposite sides of the grommet 10. The strand 20 has its unsecured end portion disposed on the underside or outer side of the sheet 6, as seen in Figures 1 and 2.

In use, the sheet 6 of the gathering device 5 is laid out fiat as illustrated in Figure 1, as for example, by being placed in an extended position on the ground and with the reinforcing piece 8 disposed on the underside thereof. Leaves, weeds, grass clippings or other material to be gathered up, designated 22 and seen in Figure 2, may then be piled on the sheet 6. The corners containing the grommets 11 and 12 are then drawn upwardly toward one another and the strand 18 is then passed upwardly or outwardly through the grommet 12 for thus connecting the corners containing the grommets 11 and 12. One of the other corners, as for example the corner containing the grommet 13, is then drawn upwardly and the free end portion of the strand 18 is then passed upwardly or outwardly through said grommet 13, after which the other corner containing the grommet 14 is drawn upwardly toward the three connected corners and the free end of the strand 18 is then passed upwardly or outwardly through the grommet 14 for thus drawing the four corners of the sheet 6 together, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The sheet 6 will thus, be substantially closed to form a bag or receptacle for the material 22 and may be carried by grasping the free end portion of the strand 18 which extends from the grommet 14.

When it is desired to empty the contents of the gathering device 5, the bottom strand 20 is grasped and the free end of the strand 18 is released. The gathering device 5 is then lifted by the strand 20 for inverting said device relative to its position of Figure 2. The weight of the material will then cause the strand 18 to be withdrawn from engagement with the grommets 14, 13 and 12 to thus permit the gathering device to open so that the material 22 can be emptied therefrom.

It will be readily apparent that in closing the gathering device around the material 22 piled in the sheet 6, spilling of any of the material 22 from the sheet 6 can be readily avoided by following the procedure as previously described, as the operator can hold the free end of the strand 18 with one hand while utilizing the other hand to lift the corner containing the grommet 12 and can pass the free end of the strand through said grommet 12 for drawing the corners containing the grommets 11 and 12 toward one another. The free end of the strand can then be held while the corner containing the grommet 13 is raised for passing the strand 18 outwardly therethrough, after which the free end of the strand is held for holding the three connected corners together, while the other corner containing the grommet 14 is lifted.

Where the contents 22 is not of sufficient volume to fill the gathered sheet 6, the free end of the strand 18 can be first passed outwardly through the grommet 15, then outwardly through the grommet 16 and finally outwardly through the grommet 17 for positioning the four corners of the sheet 6 in overlapping relation to one another for more completely closing the receptacle formed by the device 5 and for tightly confining the contents 22 therein. It will also be understood that when the strand 18 is in engagement with the four corner grommets as seen in Figure 3 and a pull is exerted on the free end of the strand for lifting the device 5 and its contents 22, that the four corners of the sheet will be drawn closely together and so that the adjacent hemmed edges 7 of the sheet will be disposed in substantially abutting engagement while the device is being carried to prevent spilling therefrom.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

v I claim as my invention:

1. A gathering device of the character described comprising a substantially rectangular fabric sheet, a grommet secured in and extending through said sheet adjacent each corner thereof, and a flexible strand member having one end extending through and anchored to one of said corner grommets and extending slidably and detachably through the other corner grommets for drawing the corners of said sheet together to form a bag-like receptacle.

2. A device as in claim 1, a grommet extending through and anchored in the central portion of said sheet, a flexible strand member having one end extending through and anchored to said last mentioned grommet and having a free end disposed externally of the sheet, when closed, to form a bag-like receptacle, said free end of the last mentioned strand member providing a handle means by which the bag-like receptacle can be lifted and in verted. v

3. A gathering device as in claim 2, and a reinforcing fabric piece secured to an outer side of said bag-like receptacle and located adjacent the center of said sheet and through which said last mentioned grommet is secured.

4. A gathering device of the character described comprising a substantially rectangular fabric sheet, a grommet anchored through one corner of said sheet, a flexible strand member having one end extending through and anchored to said grommet, grommets extending through and anchored in said sheet adjacent the other corners thereof through which the free end of said flexible strand slidably and detachably engages for drawing the corners of the sheet together to form a bag-like receptacle.

5. A gathering device as in claim 4, said last mentioned grommets being spaced substantially equal dis tances from the adjacent corners of said sheet and being located nearer the center of the sheet than said first mentioned grommet for positioning the corners of the sheet in overlapping relation when the grommets thereof are engaged by said flexible strand.

6. A gathering device of the character described comprising a substantially rectangular fabric sheet, a grommet extending through and anchored in one corner of said sheet, a flexible strand element having one end extending through and anchored to said grommet, outer grommets extending through and anchored in each of the other corners of the sheet, and inner grommets extending through and anchored in said sheet adjacent to but spaced inwardly from each of said outer grommets, the free end of said flexible element selectively engaging slidably and detachably through either the outer grommets or said inner grommets for drawing the corners of the sheet together to form bag-like receptacles of different sizes.

7. A gathering device as in claim 6, portions of said flexible element extending directly between grommets of diagonally opposite corners of the sheet, when the sheet is gathered to form a bag-like receptacle, for drawing said diagonally opposite corners of the sheet directly toward one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,261,846 Osgood Apr. 9, 1918 1,479,903 Erland Jan. 8, 1924 1,683,678 Ketterman et al Sept. 11, 1928 1,871,101 Waltz Aug. 9, 1932 2,479,203 Brown Aug. 16, 1949 

